5 uncommon Pokemon GO Battle League teams you should try out

Like many competitive gaming aspects, the Pokemon GO Battle League has an established meta. Depending on the Battle League being played, certain Pokemon and teams have risen to the top of the rankings, being the most effective in PvP battles for one reason or another. However, success can be had outside of the meta picks when certain Pokemon teams are used effectively.

With hundreds of Pocket Monsters in Pokemon GO, some creatures are often overlooked in favor of PvP meta picks, but they still have plenty to offer. They may not carry you to the Legend rank in a given PvP league, but they can still rack up wins on occasion even when facing off against certain meta teams.

If you need a change for your next GO Battle League team, you can give these off-meta options a try.

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5 off-meta Pokemon GO Battle League teams worth trying

1) Gogoat, Samurott, Sableye (Great League)

Gogoat can be a problem for Pokemon GO's Great League Water-type meta (Image via Niantic)

Team lineup

• Gogoat (Lead) - Vine Whip, Leaf Blade, Rock Slide
• Samurott (Switch) - Waterfall, Hydro Cannon, Megahorn
• Sableye (Closer) - Shadow Claw, Foul Play, Power Gem

This Pokemon GO Battle League team is spearheaded to combat the Great League's heavy emphasis on Water- and Ground-type opponents. Picks like Quagsire, Feraligatr, Lanturn, Swampert, Azumarill, and Mantine rank as some of the top meta options in this format. With Vine Whip and Leaf Blade, Gogoat can hold up surprisingly well against all of them.

In the event an opponent brings along a Fire-type counter to Gogoat, trainers can switch to Samurott and devastate them with Waterfall and Hydro Cannon. Megahorn gives it some play against Grass-, Psychic-, and Dark-type opponents.

For a bulky closing option, Sableye is a great defender that can use a mixed Ghost/Dark/Rock-type moveset to deal with various opponent types. Moreover, Sableye only has one weakness (Fairy-type moves), so it's relatively safe from being countered as long as trainers are aware of its vulnerabilities.

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2) Virizion, Galarian Weezing, Blastoise (Ultra League)

Galarian Weezing's type combination can be tricky to forecast in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

Team lineup:

• Virizion (Lead) - Double Kick, Leaf Blade, Sacred Sword
• Galarian Weezing (Switch) - Fairy Wind, Brutal Swing, Play Rough
• Blastoise (Closer) - Water Gun, Hydro Cannon, Ice Beam

This Pokemon GO Battle League team utilizes Virizion's combined Fighting/Grass-type moveset to counter the popular Water- and Steel-type meta picks of the Ultra League like Registeel, Shadow Feraligatr, and Poliwrath. If opponents bring Fire- or Flying-types that can counter Virizion, Blastoise can deal with them thanks to its Water- and Ice-type moveset.

Galarian Weezing is something of a wildcard in this Pokemon GO PvP lineup. As a Poison/Fairy-type, some trainers may pause for a moment to determine how they need to counter its unique type combination. Meanwhile, its combined Fairy/Dark-type moveset can cause problems for meta darlings like Giratina, Poliwrath, Cobalion, and Cresselia, among others.

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3) Mamoswine, Tapu Lele, Shadow Snorlax (Master League)

Mamoswine can menace Pokemon GO's popular Dragon-types (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Team lineup:

• Mamoswine (Lead) - Powder Snow, Avalanche, High Horsepower
• Tapu Lele (Switch) - Confusion, Moonblast, Nature's Madness
• Shadow Snorlax (Closer) - Lick, Body Slam, Superpower

Pokemon GO's Master League is a haven of legendary Dragon-types, which makes having a quality Ice-type incredibly valuable. This is where Mamoswine comes in with hard-hitting Ice-type attacks. It also utilizes High Horsepower to contend with certain dragons that aren't vulnerable to Ice-type attacks like Dialga, whose partial Steel typing is vulnerable to Ground-type moves.

Tapu Lele provides a switch that can content with dragons as well thanks to two Fairy-type attacks, but it also possesses Confusion to counter Fighting-types that can give Mamoswine and Shadow Snorlax trouble. Moreover, Tapu Lele is pretty durable in Pokemon GO despite its base Attack stat being higher.

Shadow Snorlax rounds out the team as a mix of high durability and solid damage output. As a Normal-type Pokemon, it only has one weakness (Fighting-type moves), and access to the move Lick allows it to counter popular Ghost-types (particularly the Ghost/Dragon Giratina). Body Slam provides a neutral damage Charged Attack, and Superpower provides extra type coverage.

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4) Shadow Charizard, Sirfetch'd, Hisuian Electrode (Great League)

Hisuian Electrode is a sneaky counter to quite a few Pokemon GO Great League picks (Image via Niantic)

Team lineup:

• Shadow Charizard (Lead) - Wing Attack, Blast Burn, Dragon Claw
• Sirfetch'd (Switch) - Counter, Leaf Blade, Night Slash
• Hisuian Electrode (Closer) - Thunder Shock, Wild Charge, Energy Ball

Charizard may not be the best Fire-type in Pokemon GO PvP, but in its shadow form, it has boosted damage potential and can utilize a diverse moveset to counter several opponents. When Water-type opponents appear in the Great League (and they typically will), Hisuian Electrode's Electric/Grass type combination should be able to address them well.

Sirfetch'd offers more type coverage that some opponents may not see coming. Newer players may assume Sirfetch'd is a Flying-type due to its bird-like appearance, but its combined Fighting/Grass/Dark-type moveset should have some surprises of its own that can counter several opponents. Plus, Sirfetch'd has a solid base Attack stat to whittle down beleaguered targets in a pinch.

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5) Togedemaru, Shadow Politoed, Meganium (Great League)

Togedemaru's appearance belies its battle capability in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

Team lineup:

• Togedemaru (Lead) - Thunder Shock, Fell Stinger, Wild Charge
• Shadow Politoed (Switch) - Mud Shot, Weather Ball (Water), Earthquake
• Meganium (Closer) - Vine Whip, Frenzy Plant, Earthquake

A Pokemon GO team like this might leave opponents scratching their heads, but its appearance isn't the same thing as its capabilities. Togedemaru's Electric-type assault deals with several meta picks in the Great League including Talonflame, Skarmory, and Azumarill. When it encounters Ground-type opponents, players can switch to either Meganium or Shadow Politoed in response.

Shadow Politoed is a surprise switch here thanks to its ability to learn Mud Shot and Earthquake, which can completely throw off Electric-types that are hoping to counter it. Meanwhile, Weather Ball (Water) ensures that Shadow Politoed can still perform the task of taking down Rock-, Ground-, and Fire-type opponents as a Water-type Pokemon should.

That leaves Meganium, which is surprisingly bulky in Pokemon GO and has access to the move Earthquake to detract Fire-types that try to exploit its vulnerabilities. Moreover, if it's targeted by Flying-type Pokemon, Togedemaru can hop back in to help out. These three team members cover each other's weaknesses well, which is a strength that players who underestimate them might learn.